Ecotopianism: Towards a Philosophical Conception

Utopianism as a form of thinking has always been part of environmentalism, but environmental philosophers have largely refrained from engaging with it. A philosophical conception of ecological utopianism, or ecotopianism for short, could make the subject matter accessible to further philosophical reflection. As a highly generalised conceptual framework and terminology, it could also support interdisciplinary communication in the diverse field of utopian studies and practice, including today’s environmental movements. After offering evidence of utopian thinking in environmental discourse, I outline a conception of utopianism and ecotopianism that is based on the processual paradigm of contemporary utopian theory and compatible with Deweyan pragmatism.